Donkey Kong Country#Audio

File:Donkey Kong Country Shot 2.png, Diddy Kong (behind him there is Donkey Kong) jumps on a Kremling in the game's first level, Jungle Hijinks.]]

Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platform game. A reboot of the Donkey Kong franchise,{{cite web|last=Grubb|first=Jeff|title=Nintendo plans to release Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D on May 24|url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/03/15/donkey-kong-3d-may-24/|website=VentureBeat|accessdate=18 May 2020|date=15 March 2013|archive-date=15 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015151451/https://venturebeat.com/2013/03/15/donkey-kong-3d-may-24/|url-status=live}} its story begins when King K. Rool and his army of crocodiles, the Kremlings, steal the Kongs' banana hoard. The gorilla Donkey Kong and his nephew Diddy Kong set out to reclaim the hoard and defeat the Kremlings. Donkey and Diddy serve as the player characters of the single-player game; they run alongside each other and the player can swap between them at will. Donkey is stronger and can defeat enemies more easily; Diddy is faster and more agile. Both can walk, run, jump, pick up and throw objects, and roll; Donkey can slap the terrain to defeat enemies or find items.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=12–15}}

The player begins in a world map that tracks their progress and provides access to the 40 levels.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=8}}{{Cite web|last=Langshaw|first=Mark|date=18 August 2012|title=Retro corner: {{'}}Donkey Kong Country{{'}}|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/retro-gaming/a400139/retro-corner-donkey-kong-country|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526034851/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/retro-gaming/a400139/retro-corner-donkey-kong-country/|archive-date=26 May 2019|access-date=30 June 2020|publisher=Digital Spy}} The player attempts to complete each level while traversing the environment, jumping between platforms, and avoiding enemy and inanimate obstacles. Level themes include jungles, underwater reefs, caves, mines, mountains, and factories.{{sfn|Nintendo Power staff|1994|p=8–17}} Some feature unique game mechanics, such as rideable minecarts, blasting out of cannons resembling barrels, and swinging ropes.{{sfn|CVG staff|1994|p=52–53}} Each area ends with a boss fight with a large enemy.{{sfn|Scary Larry|1994|p=51}} Donkey and Diddy can defeat enemies by jumping on, rolling into, or throwing barrels at them. If hit by an obstacle, one of the Kongs runs off and the player automatically takes control of the other. They will only be able to control that Kong unless they free the other Kong from a barrel.{{sfn|Scary Larry|1994|p=51}}

In certain levels, the player can free an animal that provides the Kongs with special abilities, similar to Yoshi from the Super Mario series. Buddies include Rambi, a rhino that can charge into enemies and find hidden entrances; Enguarde, a swordfish that can defeat enemies with its bill; Squawks, a parrot that carries a lantern; Expresso, an ostrich that flies; and Winky, a frog that can jump high. Each level contains collectible bananas, letters that spell out K–O–N–G, balloons, and animal tokens.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=9; 18–19}} These items can be found within the main level or by discovering hidden bonus stages, where they are earned via solving puzzles.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=31}} The player starts with six lives. Collecting 100 bananas, all the K–O–N–G letters, a balloon, or three of the same animal token grants extra lives.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=18–19}}

The player can visit other members of the Kong family from the world map. Funky Kong operates a flight service allowing the player to travel across different areas of Donkey Kong Island; Cranky Kong, the aged incarnation of Donkey Kong from the original Donkey Kong (1981), provides tips and fourth wall-breaking humour; and Candy Kong saves the player's progress.{{sfn|Scary Larry|1994|p=51}}{{cite web|last=Irving|first=Mike|title=Cranky Kong works out that new-fangled Twitter thing|url=https://www.vg247.com/cranky-kong-works-out-that-new-fangled-twitter-thing|website=VG247|access-date=19 June 2022|date=19 June 2022|archive-date=29 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629094540/https://www.vg247.com/cranky-kong-works-out-that-new-fangled-twitter-thing|url-status=live}} The player can increase their completion percentage by finding bonus stages. Reaching the maximum 101 per cent results in a different ending. The game also features two multiplayer game modes. In the competitive "Contest" mode, players take turns playing each level as quickly as possible. In the cooperative "Team" mode, they play as a tag team.{{sfn|CVG staff|1994|p=52}}

{{seealso|Rare (company)#History|l1=History of Rare}}

File:Tim and Chris Stamper outside the FortuneFish offices.jpg founders Tim and Chris Stamper (right to left) in 2015]]

In 1985, the British game developers Tim and Chris Stamper established Rare Ltd. The brothers previously founded the British computer game studio Ultimate Play the Game and founded Rare to focus on the burgeoning Japanese console market.{{sfn|Hunt|2010|p=28–43}} After Nintendo rejected their efforts to form a partnership in 1983, Chris Stamper studied the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) hardware for six months.{{Cite web|last=Dawley|first=Heidi|date=29 May 1995|title=Killer Instinct for hire|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1995-05-28/killer-instinct-for-hire|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170602125733/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1995-05-28/killer-instinct-for-hire|archive-date=2 June 2017|access-date=17 July 2017|website=Bloomberg Businessweek}} Rare demonstrated it was possible to reverse-engineer the NES and showed several tech demos to Nintendo executive Minoru Arakawa; impressed, Arakawa granted Rare a Nintendo developer licence.{{Cite web|last=McLaughlin|first=Rus|date=28 July 2008|title=IGN presents the history of Rare|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/28/ign-presents-the-history-of-rare|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414013832/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/28/ign-presents-the-history-of-rare|archive-date=14 April 2013|access-date=4 June 2020|website=IGN}} Rare developed more than 60 NES games, including the Battletoads series.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ7qtqqgTlo|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/GQ7qtqqgTlo| archive-date=11 December 2021|url-status=live|title=DF Retro: Donkey Kong Country + Killer Instinct - A 16-Bit CG Revolution!|date=16 December 2017|publisher=Digital Foundry|access-date=29 June 2020|medium=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

When Nintendo released their next console, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), in 1991, Rare decided to limit their output. Around 1992, Rare invested their NES profit in Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) Challenge workstations with Alias rendering software to render 3D models.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} It was a significant risk, as each workstation cost £80,000.{{Cite news|last=McFerren|first=Damien|date=27 February 2014|title=Month of Kong: The making of Donkey Kong Country|work=Nintendo Life|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/month_of_kong_the_making_of_donkey_kong_country|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131130533/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/month_of_kong_the_making_of_donkey_kong_country|archive-date=31 January 2016}} The move made Rare the most technologically advanced UK developer and situated them high in the international market. In 1993, Nintendo formed a partnership with SGI to develop the SNES's successor, the Nintendo 64.

Though they had purchased the workstations to produce games for the Nintendo 64, Rare discovered it was possible to use them with the 16-bit SNES. Rare tested the SGI technology with Battletoads Arcade (1994) and began developing a boxing game, Brute Force, using PowerAnimator. Around this time, Nintendo was embroiled in a console war with Sega, whose Mega Drive competed with the SNES. Nintendo wanted a game to compete with Sega's Aladdin (1993), which featured graphics by Disney animators, when Nintendo of America's chairman Howard Lincoln learned of Rare's SGI experiments during a trip to Europe. Nintendo sent several representatives, including the chief technology officer Genyo Takeda; they asked the Stampers if they could demonstrate Brute Force on the SNES hardware. Within two days, the Stampers developed a working build,{{cite web |title=Les coulisses de Donkey Kong Country : Des gorilles et des hommes |trans-title=Behind the scenes of Donkey Kong Country: Gorillas and Men |url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/651885/les-coulisses-de-donkey-kong-country-des-gorilles-et-des-hommes.htm |website=Jeuxvideo |access-date=February 2, 2025 |language=French |date=May 7, 2017}} impressing Nintendo.

Tim Stamper—inspired by Mortal Kombat{{'s}} (1992) use of digitised footage in place of hand-drawn art—suggested developing a platform game that used pre-rendered graphics.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} Nintendo granted the Stampers permission to use the Donkey Kong intellectual property.{{Cite news|last=Waugh|first=Eric-Jon Rossel|date=30 August 2006|title=A short history of Rare|work=Bloomberg Businessweek|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-08-30/a-short-history-of-rarebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice|url-status=live|access-date=17 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015142432/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-08-30/a-short-history-of-rarebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice|archive-date=15 October 2016}} The franchise had been largely dormant since the unsuccessful Donkey Kong 3 (1983),{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=10 interesting things about Donkey Kong|url=http://www.1up.com/features/10-interesting-donkey-kong|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623015927/http://www.1up.com/features/10-interesting-donkey-kong|archive-date=23 June 2012|access-date=19 May 2020|website=1Up.com}}{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|date=21 November 2019|title=Donkey Kong Country turns 25: Gaming's biggest bluff|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/reconsidering-donkey-kong-country-gamings-empty-handed-bluff|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120031051/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/reconsidering-donkey-kong-country-gamings-empty-handed-bluff|archive-date=20 November 2020|access-date=19 May 2020|website=USGamer}} so Nintendo figured that licensing it posed minimal risk. Some sources indicate that the Stampers obtained the licence after Nintendo offered them their catalogue of characters and they chose Donkey Kong. Conversely, the lead designer Gregg Mayles and his brother Steve recalled that it was Nintendo that requested a Donkey Kong game.{{cite web|last=Hunt|first=Stuart|title="Yes, we did go to the zoo and observe the gorillas": The making of Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-making-of-donkey-kong-country/|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=11 June 2022|date=22 June 2021|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611165430/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-making-of-donkey-kong-country/|url-status=live}} Donkey Kong{{'s}} creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, said that Rare approached Nintendo and offered to handle Donkey Kong since other developers were preoccupied with franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda.

Rare assembled a team of 12, the largest in their history at that point, and development began in mid-1993. Nintendo was sceptical of Rare's approach to graphics, concerned it would make the game unplayable. Early in development, Mayles and other developers presented a demo to Nintendo staff in Japan. One in attendance, the Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi, felt the game "looked too 3D", but Mayles said Miyamoto was supportive and gave Rare his approval. Nintendo codenamed the project "Country" (based on Rare's location in Twycross), leading to the title Donkey Kong Country.{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Ollie |title=Random: Ex-Rare Dev Explains The Origin Of Donkey Kong Country's Name |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/04/random-ex-rare-dev-explains-the-origin-of-donkey-kong-countrys-name |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=22 February 2025 |date=5 April 2023}} Other titles considered included Rumble in the Jungle, Monkey Mayhem, and Donkey Kong and the Golden Bananas. Donkey Kong Country was the first Donkey Kong game that was neither directed nor produced by Miyamoto, who was working on Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995).{{Cite web|last=Sao|first=Akinori|date=2017|title=Super Mario World & Yoshi's Island developer interview|url=https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-mario-world|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609090516/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-mario-world/|archive-date=9 June 2021|access-date=6 June 2020|website=Super NES Classic Edition|publisher=Nintendo}} Miyamoto was still involved with the project and Rare said he provided crucial input.{{cite web|title=Rarewhere: Donkey Kong Country|publisher=Rare|url=http://rare.co.uk/recent/games/dkc/|access-date=5 June 2020|archive-date=29 May 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980529161639/http://rare.co.uk/recent/games/dkc/}}

Nintendo is usually highly protective of their intellectual properties, but was relatively uninvolved with Donkey Kong Country, leaving most of the work to Rare. Programmer Brendan Gunn noted that the Stampers worked to shield the team from outside influence. Rare spent 18 months developing Donkey Kong Country from an initial concept to a finished game, and according to product manager Dan Owsen, 20 people worked on it in total.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} It cost an estimated {{US$}}1 million to produce,{{sfn|Palumbo|Kalb|1996|p=92}} and Rare said that it had the most man hours ever invested in a video game at the time, 22 years. The team worked 12–16-hours every day of the week. Gunn said that the team was under significant pressure from the Stampers and to finish the game in time for Thanksgiving due to Nintendo's competition with Sega.

{{Quote box|quote=The stages were painstakingly arranged so that the player could "go first time" past obstacles ([i.e.] if there was a swinging rope then when it came on screen it was swinging towards you so you could jump onto it straight away)... If you time everything correctly, you can get through the level efficiently and impressively.|source=Gregg Mayles|width=30em|quoted=1}}

Rare drew inspiration from the Super Mario series, Mayles citing Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) as the primary influence on the level design. Mayles wanted to make a game that was accessible but would flow seamlessly for a skilled player; as such, objects were placed so well-timed players could continually move through a level. Mayles noted that although the concept of speedrunning did not exist at the time, "the way the game was designed definitely supports it".{{cite web|last=Robinson|first=Andy|title=Donkey Kong Country team reflects on the game's 25th anniversary|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/donkey-kong-country-team-reflects-on-the-games-25th-anniversary|website=Video Games Chronicle|access-date=14 June 2022|date=21 November 2019|archive-date=31 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131170941/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/donkey-kong-country-team-reflects-on-the-games-25th-anniversary/|url-status=live}} The level locales were inspired by the films Return of the Jedi (1983) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

The team designed levels using Post-it Notes; they conceived set pieces (such as swinging ropes), created every variation they could think of, drew them on Post-it Notes, and pieced them together.{{cite magazine|title=Rare Vintage: Part One|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/rare-vintage-part-one?page=0%2C1|magazine=Edge|access-date=17 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017054242/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/rare-vintage-part-one?page=0%2C1|archive-date=17 October 2010|pages=1–2|date=11 October 2010}} Rare featured barrels as a primary game mechanic to pay homage to the original arcade game,{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18}} and included hidden collectibles like coins and balloons to add depth.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=20}} Diddy Kong originated from Rare's search for a game mechanic akin to Super Mario{{'s}} power-up system in that he would serve as the player's health. Mayles said: "We thought a second character could perform this function, look visually impressive, and give the player a feeling that they were not alone".

Donkey Kong Country did not have much scrapped content; Gunn said he only regretted that Donkey Kong walks across dotted lines instead of paths on the world map, which could not be implemented due to time constraints. One scrapped idea, a collectible that would evade the player by running or hiding, served as the basis for the Jinjos in Rare's subsequent game Banjo-Kazooie (1998).{{sfn|Retro Gamer staff|2007|p=20}} Reviewing Donkey Kong Country for release, Nintendo directed Rare to reduce the difficulty to appeal to a broad audience, reasoning that the secrets would provide sufficient challenge for hardcore gamers. At this point, Miyamoto made some last-minute suggestions, such as Donkey Kong's terrain slap, that were incorporated.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=55}} Nintendo's Kensuke Tanabe flew to Twycross to localise the game with Rare.{{Cite web|last=Iwata|first=Satoru|date=1 December 2010|title=Donkey Kong Country Returns - White-knuckled action|url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/donkey-kong-country-returns/0/3|access-date=4 July 2022|publisher=Iwata Asks|archive-date=5 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190937/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/donkey-kong-country-returns/0/3/|url-status=live}}

Kevin Bayliss was in charge of redesigning Donkey Kong. He wanted a character that looked believable and could perform animations like pounding his chest.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18}} His initial design was blocky and muscular to make Donkey Kong easy to animate, but it became more cartoonish when Nintendo faxed reference material. Some of Bayliss' designs were in the style of his Battletoads work,{{cite web|last=Wood|first=Austin|title=Original Donkey Kong Country drafts reveal the characters that might have been|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/original-donkey-kong-country-drafts-reveal-the-characters-that-might-have-been|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=16 June 2022|date=19 January 2021|archive-date=16 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616191837/https://www.gamesradar.com/original-donkey-kong-country-drafts-reveal-the-characters-that-might-have-been/|url-status=live}} and the final design's eyes came from those of the Battletoads. Miyamoto provided some suggestions, including the red tie, but left the design's specifics to Bayliss.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18}}

Because Donkey Kong did not have much of an established universe, Rare was free to expand it with new characters. Mayles conceived Diddy as a redesign of Donkey Kong Jr., and Bayliss designed him. Unlike the original Donkey Kong Jr., Rare did not want Diddy to share his build with Donkey Kong, so Bayliss based the design on a spider monkey and made him agile to give him distinct moves.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18–20}} The redesign was also motivated by Bayliss' distaste for Donkey Kong Jr. Nintendo considered the redesign too great a departure and asked it to be reworked or presented as a new character. Mayles felt the redesign suited the updated Donkey Kong universe, so he chose to make it a new character. Naming the character was a challenge; considered names included "Diet Donkey Kong", "Donkey Kong Lite", and "Titchy Kong". Rare settled on "Dinky", but ultimately changed it to "Diddy" due to legal problems.

Rare staff spent hours at the nearby Twycross Zoo recording gorillas for reference, which they described as "a complete waste of time". They found their movements unsuitable for a fast game and their noises too quiet to be captured by a microphone, so they based Donkey Kong's running animation on a horse's gallop and had programmer Mark Betteridge provide Donkey and Diddy's voice clips. Rare positioned Cranky Kong as the original Donkey Kong character from the arcade games but avoided mentioning this in the game and marketing materials out of fear that Nintendo would disapprove of the idea,{{Cite web|last=Zwiezen|first=Zack|date=25 November 2019|title=Nintendo was worried Donkey Kong Country was 'too 3D'|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/11/nintendo-was-worried-donkey-kong-country-was-too-3d/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923161416/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/11/nintendo-was-worried-donkey-kong-country-was-too-3d/|archive-date=23 September 2020|access-date=26 May 2020|website=Kotaku}} though it was mentioned in the instruction manual.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=27}} Rare created each character using Donkey Kong's model as a base and made the Kong designs consistent to reflect that they were relatives.

All story drafts centered on the theft of Donkey Kong's banana hoard. According to Mayles, the team pitched the Super Mario character Wario as the antagonist,{{cite tweet|author-link=Gregg Mayles|last=Mayles|first=Gregg|user=Ghoulyboy|title=@TopherPutnam wanted more info on a disused concept we did for #DKC, so here it is! Mario invents a time machine, Wario uses it to acquire a fancy gun that he turns Mario to stone with, a parrot sees it all and flaps off to get DK's help |number=1177306565109518336|date=26 September 2019|access-date=2 February 2025}} but Nintendo asked them to use original characters.{{cite tweet|author-link=Gregg Mayles|last=Mayles|first=Gregg|user=Ghoulyboy|title=It's an early pitch we made to Nintendo that eventually became DKC. They wanted all new bad guys, so we used our reptile Kremlings instead. I still have the book somewhere, but I'm sure I tweeted a some images from inside a few years ago|number=1176830620137377792|date=25 September 2019|access-date=2 February 2025}} They recycled the Kremlings from Johnny Blastoff and the Kremling Armada, a cancelled Monkey Island-style adventure game. Their name is a play on the Moscow Kremlin. Rare's initial story was extensive and spanned 15 pages, but Nintendo had it condensed to fit into an instruction manual.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}}

File:SGI Power Challenge 10000 L (1).jpg workstations (pictured) to produce Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} pre-rendered visuals.]]

Donkey Kong Country was one of the first games for a mainstream home video game console to use pre-rendered 3D graphics, a technique used in the earlier 1993 Finnish game Stardust for the Amiga.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} Rare developed a compression technique to incorporate more detail and animation for each sprite for a given memory footprint, which better preserved the pre-rendered graphics. Nintendo and Rare called the technique Advanced Computer Modelling (ACM). Rare briefly feared competition from DMA Design's Uniracers (1994), which also featured pre-rendered graphics, but the staff was relieved upon learning that the player character was Uniracer{{'s}} only element that was pre-rendered.

The artists began by modelling the characters in NURBS using PowerAnimator and adding textures. They then created the animations and rendered them frame by frame before compressing them for the game. The ACM process was handled by a designated computer that had a proprietary utility similar to Deluxe Paint. Adapting to the cutting-edge SGI workstations was difficult; Gregg Mayles' brother Steve said they had a steep learning curve. To help, Nintendo provided Rare with research material regarding apes, barrels, and caves.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} The pre-rendered graphics allowed for variety and detail uncommon at the time, and Tim Stamper constantly pushed the team to go further and incorporate weather and lighting effects.

The game was Rare's first to require multiple programmers, and they worked with little guidance. The ACM process pushed the SNES hardware to its limits; Betteridge said Rare wanted to do everything they could with the hardware similar to what they had done with the NES game Battletoads (1991). A single SGI screen took up more memory than an entire SNES cartridge, and Gregg Mayles described transferring the backgrounds into the game by splitting them into tiles as "the bane of the project". Models took hours to render, so the team would leave the computers running overnight. Sometimes, artists would shut down other artists' computers in the middle of the process so they could render their own models. The SGI machines required a massive air conditioning unit to prevent overheating, while the team worked in the summer heat without relief. Programmer Chris Sutherland was responsible for implementing the graphics and found reducing the characters' frames of animation challenging.

{{Listen

| filename = DKC Aquatic Ambience Sample.ogg

| title = "Aquatic Ambience"

| description = A 21-second excerpt from "Aquatic Ambience", the music that plays in Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} underwater levels. The composition took five weeks to produce using a Korg Wavestation and Wise has called it his favourite track in the game.

}}

File:David Wise by Gage Skidmore.jpg, Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} primary composer]]

David Wise composed most of the soundtrack. Wise initially worked as a freelancer and assumed his music would be replaced by Koji Kondo because of the importance of Donkey Kong to Nintendo.{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Darryn |title=The Man Behind the Legendary Donkey Kong Country Soundtracks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/arts/music/donkey-kong-country-soundtrack-david-wise.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=November 19, 2024 |date=November 19, 2024 |archive-date=19 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119154630/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/arts/music/donkey-kong-country-soundtrack-david-wise.html |url-status=live }} Rare asked Wise to record three jungle demo tunes that were merged to become the "DK Island Swing", the first level's track. Miyamoto was impressed, and Wise was enlisted to produce the final score.{{cite web|last=Greening|first=Chris|date=December 2010|title=Interview with David Wise|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/davidwise.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115042157/http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/davidwise.shtml|archive-date=15 January 2012|publisher=Square Enix Music Online}} Before composing, Wise was shown the graphics and given an opportunity to play the level they would appear in, which gave him a sense of the music he would compose. He chose samples and optimised the music to work on the SNES's SPC700 sound chip.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_RNM2QlujU|title=Composer David Wise Dissects Donkey Kong Country's Best Music|date=5 July 2019|last=Wise|first=David|medium=YouTube|access-date=22 June 2020|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/v_RNM2QlujU|archive-date=11 December 2021|url-status=live|website=Game Informer}}{{cbignore}} Wise worked separately from the team in a former cattle shed, visited occasionally by Tim Stamper.

Donkey Kong Country features atmospheric music that mixes natural environmental sounds with prominent melodic and percussive accompaniments.{{cite interview |last=Wise|first=David|date=December 2004|title=The Tepid Seat - Rare Music Team|publisher=Rare|url=http://www.rareware.com/extras/tepidseat/music/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126102515/http://www.rareware.com/extras/tepidseat/music/index.html|archive-date=26 January 2007}}

Its soundtrack attempts to evoke the environments and includes music from levels set in Africa-inspired jungles, caverns, oceanic reefs, frozen landscapes, and industrial factories. Wise cited Koji Kondo's music for the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda games, Tim and Geoff Follin's music for Plok! (1993), and 1980s synthesiser film soundtracks, rock, and dance music as influences, and wanted to imitate the sound of the Korg Wavestation synthesiser. He wrote lyrics for each melody, though The New York Times noted "no one is really meant to hear them".

Since Donkey Kong Country featured advanced pre-rendered graphics, Wise wanted to push the limits to create "equally impressive" music and make the most of the limited memory he was working with. Wise found Donkey Kong "a little more brutal" than Mario, so departed from Super Mario{{'s}} Latin and calypso-inspired sound. He wanted to compose in the style of 1940s jazz, seeking to imitate the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the "DK Island Swing", but was restricted by the SPC700's limitations; he "used a lot of small samples and made [the soundtrack] very synthesised" to work around them. His colleague Grant Kirkhope said that Wise's familiarity with the SNES hardware meant he could "make it do things that people hadn't heard before".

"Aquatic Ambience", the music that plays in the underwater levels, took five weeks to compose. Wise was inspired by a recent breakup, which made him feel as if he was drowning. He considers the track his favourite and the game's biggest technological accomplishment in regards to the audio. The boss theme was inspired by the Nine Inch Nails song "March of the Pigs" (1994), and K. Rool's theme was influenced by sea shanties, barrel organ music, and the work of Iron Maiden. For the title screen theme, Wise remixed Nintendo's original Donkey Kong theme to demonstrate Donkey Kong's evolution. Wise said his primary focus was to make the most of the SPC700, and he input the music by hand to save memory. He noted the process was easier than composing for the NES due to the larger number of sound channels.

Eveline Novakovic contributed seven tracks, including the world map theme, as her first SNES project.{{cite web|title=Rare: Scribes|url=http://www.rareware.com/extra/scribes/scribes_content.html|publisher=Rare|access-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227091731/http://www.rareware.com/extra/scribes/scribes_content.html|archive-date=27 December 2005|date=21 December 2005|quote=Let's see. Once he'd polished off the new DKC3 GBA score Dave found the time to dig up a full list, and it looks like this: Robin did Funky's Fugue, Eveline did Simian Segue, Candy's Love Song, Voices of the Temple, Forest Frenzy, Tree Top Rock, Northern Hemispheres and Ice Cave Chant, and the rest was the doing of Mr. Wise. Hot damn! It always makes me feel empowered when we can provide actual, genuine, non-fabricated information.}}{{Cite web|last=Yarwood|first=Jack|date=22 June 2021|title=A 'Rare' interview with Donkey Kong Country composer Eveline Novakovic|url=https://www.fanbyte.com/features/a-rare-interview-with-donkey-kong-country-composer-eveline-novakovic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120152552/https://www.fanbyte.com/features/a-rare-interview-with-donkey-kong-country-composer-eveline-novakovic/|archive-date=20 January 2022|access-date=22 May 2022|publisher=FanByte}} Novakovic was inexperienced with the SNES hardware and Wise helped teach her as they worked together. She attempted to provide the levels a sense of purpose and drew inspiration from film composers like Alan Silvestri and Klaus Doldinger. Funky Kong's theme was originally written by Robin Beanland. According to Beanland, the track was intended for an internal progress video about another Rare game, Killer Instinct (1994), before Nintendo decided to use it in a Donkey Kong Country promotional trailer. Beanland said Tim Stamper liked it and wanted to include it in the game,{{cite tweet|number=1098977575341301762|last=Beanland|first=Robin|title=Thanks 🙂 Yes it was originally written for an internal update/progress video for KI. @NintendoAmerica liked the track enough to use it for DKC promotion at E3...Tim loved it on the promo video and wanted it on the game. Here's the original version 🙂|user=TheRealBeano|date=22 February 2019|access-date=13 June 2020}} so Wise adopted it.

Lincoln unveiled Donkey Kong Country at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, which took place from 23 to 25 June 1994.{{sfn|Gillen|1994|p=70}} The unveiling was the finale of Nintendo's conference and did not reveal that Donkey Kong Country was a SNES game until the end of the presentation, fooling the audience into believing that it was for the upcoming Nintendo 64. Gregg Mayles recalled the audience was stunned in silence before bursting into applause.

As one of the flagship games of Nintendo's Play It Loud! promotion, Donkey Kong Country was backed by an exceptionally large marketing campaign—"marketing blitzkrieg", as Hardcore Gaming 101 put it. According to the Los Angeles Times, Nintendo spent {{US$}}16 million on marketing Donkey Kong Country in America alone; at the time, major games typically had an average marketing budget of {{US$}}5 million. Marketing materials emphasised the revolutionary graphics—often noting that Rare's SGI workstations had been used to create the Jurassic Park (1993) film's dinosaurs{{Cite web|last=Rogers|first=Tim|author-link=Tim Rogers (writer)|date=27 November 2019|title=Let's remember Donkey Kong Country, 25 years later|url=https://kotaku.com/lets-remember-donkey-kong-country-25-years-later-1840069307|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602182711/https://kotaku.com/lets-remember-donkey-kong-country-25-years-later-1840069307|archive-date=2 June 2022|access-date=2 June 2022|website=Kotaku}}—and positioned Donkey Kong Country as a direct competitor to Sega's Mega-CD and 32X platforms to remind players it was not for next-generation hardware.

Nintendo sent a promotional VHS tape, Donkey Kong Country: Exposed, to subscribers of the magazine Nintendo Power.{{cite web|last=Berube|first=Justin|title=Remembering Donkey Kong Country Exposed|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/38417/remembering-donkey-kong-country-exposed|website=Nintendo World Report|access-date=5 June 2020|date=9 September 2014|archive-date=22 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122212621/https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/38417/remembering-donkey-kong-country-exposed|url-status=live}} Exposed, hosted by comedian Josh Wolf, provides a "behind-the-scenes" glimpse of the Treehouse, the Nintendo of America division where games are tested. Nintendo World Report wrote that Exposed was "probably the first time most people outside of Nintendo learned about the [Treehouse]" and the promotion allowed players to see the game for themself at home, rather than having to learn about it secondhand from a magazine. Exposed also features gameplay tips and interviews with localisers, playtesters, and Tim Stamper.

In October 1994, Nintendo of America held an online promotional campaign through the internet service CompuServe. The campaign included downloadable video samples of the game, a trivia contest in which 800 people participated, and an hour-long online chat conference attended by 80 people, in which Lincoln, Arakawa, and vice-president of marketing Peter Main answered questions. Nintendo's CompuServe promotion marked an early instance of a major video game company using the internet to promote its products.{{Cite web|last=Fitzgerald|first=Kate|date=14 November 1994|title=Videogames vie for online eyes: Sega, Nintendo, Acclaim finding target audience in front of computer screen|url=http://adage.com/article/news/videogames-vie-online-eyes-sega-nintendo-acclaim-finding-target-audience-front-computer-screen/89320/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309011652/http://adage.com/article/news/videogames-vie-online-eyes-sega-nintendo-acclaim-finding-target-audience-front-computer-screen/89320/|archive-date=9 March 2018|website=Ad Age}} Nintendo gave away Donkey Kong T-shirts as a pre-order bonus, and partnered with Kellogg's for a promotional campaign in which the packaging for Kellogg's breakfast cereals featured Donkey Kong Country character art and announced a prize giveaway. The campaign ran from November 1994 to April 1995.{{sfn|EGM staff|1995|p=66}} Fleetway Publications published a promotional comic in the UK in 1995.{{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|date=30 September 2021|title=Check out this forgotten Donkey Kong Country comic from the UK|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/09/check_out_this_forgotten_donkey_kong_country_comic_from_the_uk|access-date=20 July 2022|website=Nintendo Life|archive-date=20 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720115950/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/09/check_out_this_forgotten_donkey_kong_country_comic_from_the_uk|url-status=live}}

{{see also|1994 in video games}}

File:Wikipedia SNES PAL.jpg (pictured) when it was beginning to face competition from next-generation hardware.]]

By October 1994, Nintendo was still in fierce competition with Sega and its popular Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Donkey Kong Country was released a month after Sonic & Knuckles for the Mega Drive. The Los Angeles Times characterised the coinciding releases as a battle; both featured company mascots, boasted "Hollywood-sized" marketing budgets, and advertised revolutionary technological advances (lock-on technology for Sonic & Knuckles and 3D-rendered graphics for Donkey Kong Country).{{Cite web|last=Kronke|first=David|date=15 October 1994|title=It's gonna be a video jungle out there: Video-game stars Donkey Kong and Sonic the Hedgehog will battle it out with new games backed by tech advances and mega-marketing.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-15-ca-50485-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918185341/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-10-15/entertainment/ca-50485_1_video-game-technology|archive-date=18 September 2015|access-date=26 May 2020|website=Los Angeles Times}}

Donkey Kong Country was highly anticipated. Hardcore Gaming 101 wrote: "It was everywhere. You couldn't escape it. It was on the cover of every magazine. It was on gigantic, imposing displays and marquees at Wal-Mart and Babbages... For kids of the era, November 20th seemed like the eve of a revolution". The Exposed VHS tape contributed significantly to the hype.{{sfn|GamePro staff|1996|p=12}} Donkey Kong Country was expected to gross at least {{US$}}140 million in the US if it matched sales projections. Nintendo anticipated that it would sell two million copies in a month, an expectation that Main acknowledged was unprecedented but was "based on the off-the-chart reactions we've received from game players and retailers".

USGamer noted that Nintendo, at the time of Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} release, faced difficulty to keep the SNES profitable. The fifth generation of video game consoles was on the horizon, the 32-bit prowess of Sony's PlayStation and the Sega Saturn far exceeding the SNES's capabilities. The Nintendo 64 was not due for release until 1996, so Donkey Kong Country, wrote USGamer, served as Nintendo's "bluff" to make it seem that the SNES could hold its ground against next-generation hardware.

Donkey Kong Country was released worldwide in November 1994, two weeks ahead of schedule and around the Black Friday shopping season. It was released in the UK on 18 November, in North America on 21 November, in Europe on 24 November, and in Japan on 26 November.{{Cite web|last=McFerren|first=Damien|date=21 November 2014|title=Anniversary: 20 years ago today, Rare resurrected the Donkey Kong brand|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/11/anniversary_20_years_ago_today_rare_resurrected_the_donkey_kong_brand|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605174352/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/11/anniversary_20_years_ago_today_rare_resurrected_the_donkey_kong_brand|archive-date=5 June 2020|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Nintendo Life}} In Japan, the game was released under the title Super Donkey Kong.{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Zachary|date=30 March 2015|title=Donkey Kong Country (Wii U VC) review mini|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewmini/39952/donkey-kong-country-wii-u-vc-review-mini|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605174442/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewmini/39952/donkey-kong-country-wii-u-vc-review-mini|archive-date=5 June 2020|access-date=5 June 2020|website=Nintendo World Report}} Donkey Kong Country set the record for the fastest-selling video game at the time:{{sfn|Next Generation staff|1996|p=45}} it sold over 500,000 copies within a week,{{sfn|Billboard|1995|p=77}} and sales reached one million copies in the US alone in two weeks. In its second week on sale in the US, the game grossed {{US$}}15 million, outpacing the week's highest-grossing film (The Santa Clause, {{US$}}11.5 million) and album (Miracles: The Holiday Album, {{US$}}5.2 million).{{sfn|Nintendo|1994b|p=12120032}} In the UK, it was the top-selling SNES game in November 1994.{{sfn|CVG staff|1995|p=115}} Donkey Kong Country sold six million copies worldwide in its first holiday season,{{Cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=20 March 2009|title=Genesis vs. SNES: By the numbers|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/20/genesis-vs-snes-by-the-numbers|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918231636/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/20/genesis-vs-snes-by-the-numbers|archive-date=18 September 2018|access-date=12 June 2022|website=IGN}} grossing {{US$|400 million|long=no}} in worldwide sales revenue.{{sfn|Nintendo|1995|p=01030008}} Cumulative sales reached 9.3 million copies. Based on available sales figures, it is the third-bestselling SNES game and the bestselling Donkey Kong game.{{Cite web|last=Gray|first=Kate|date=25 April 2022|title=Feature: The best (and worst) selling games of Nintendo's biggest franchises|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/features/the-best-and-worst-selling-games-of-nintendos-biggest-franchises|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530175807/https://www.nintendolife.com/features/the-best-and-worst-selling-games-of-nintendos-biggest-franchises|archive-date=30 May 2022|access-date=29 June 2022|website=Nintendo Life}}

{{Video game reviews

| CVG = 90/100{{sfn|CVG staff|1994|p=54}}

| EGM = 10/9/9/9{{efn|EGM{{'s}} four reviewers gave Donkey Kong Country one 10/10 score and three 9/10 scores.{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}}}{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}

| Fam = 7/8/8/8{{efn|Weekly Famitsu{{'s}} four reviewers gave Donkey Kong Country one 7/10 score and three 8/10 scores.{{sfn|Tsūshin|Germany|Watanabe|Chuji|1994}}}}{{sfn|Tsūshin|Germany|Watanabe|Chuji|1994}}

| GameFan = 100/100{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=33}}

| NGen = 4/5{{sfn|McDonnell|1995|p=102}}

| TOT = 97/100{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=39}}

| rev1 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev1Score = A+

| rev2 = Top Secret

| rev2Score = 5/5{{Sfn|Kopalny|1995|p=58}}

| award1Pub = 1995 Kids' Choice Awards

| award1 = Favourite Video Game

| award2Pub = EGM

| award2 = Game of the Year, SNES Game of the Year, Best Animation, Best Game Duo{{sfn|EGM staff|1994|p=12–22}}

| award3Pub = GamePro

| award3 = Best Graphic Achievement{{sfn|GamePro staff|1994}}

| award4Pub = Video Games: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine

| award4 = Game of the Year, Best SNES Game, Best Action Game, Best Graphics, Best Gameplay{{sfn|Video Games staff|1995|p=44–46}}

}}

Donkey Kong Country received critical acclaim and was lauded as a paradigm shift that set new standards for video games.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=76}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=38}}}} It received perfect scores from several outlets.{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=33}}{{Sfn|Kopalny|1995|p=58}} Diehard GameFan and Total! said it changed expectations for 16-bit and platform games,{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=76}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=38}} and Entertainment Weekly wrote it "is to most 16-bit games what most 16-bit games are to their Atari forebears. Once you've played it, everything else before it seems like a peewee".{{cite web|last=Strauss|first=Bob|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=https://ew.com/article/1994/12/09/donkey-kong-country/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=4 June 2022|date=9 December 1994|archive-date=4 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904084629/https://ew.com/article/1994/12/09/donkey-kong-country/|url-status=live}} Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) called Donkey Kong Country "one of the few games that is actually as good as the hype",{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}} and Total! declared it the best game of 1994.{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=38}} GameFan said that Donkey Kong Country set a new quality standard that many developers would attempt to imitate.{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=79}}

The visuals were considered the best aspect. Reviewers considered them a major technological achievement, their detail unprecedented for a 16-bit game.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|McDonnell|1995|p=102}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=78–80}}}} EGM said that the graphical quality prompted questions about the purpose of 32- and 64-bit hardware.{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}} Total! said the character animations surpassed those of a Disney film and applauded the parallax scrolling.{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37}} Several critics said the graphics were the best on available hardware,{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{sfn|McDonnell|1995|p=102}}{{sfn|Nintendo Power staff|1994|p=102}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=78–80}}}} with Entertainment Weekly writing that they were comparable to matte paintings. The soundtrack and audio were also lauded.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=38}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=81}}}} Total! said the music built atmosphere,{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=38}} Top Secret wrote the "captivating" soundtrack asserted itself as a masterpiece in its own right,{{sfn|Kopalny|1995|p=58}} and EGM and Entertainment Weekly said the audio quality was unprecedented for the SNES and on par with a CD's.{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}

Reviewers praised the gameplay for its variety and depth;{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=80}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37–38}} Entertainment Weekly appreciated that it did not build upon the original arcade game's design. Total! described Donkey Kong Country as addictive, accessible and exciting, with humour, imagination, puzzles and secrets, that proved there was still potential in the platform game genre.{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37–38}} EGM and GameFan wrote that the game was lengthy and offered plenty of technique,{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=80–81}} and GamePro commended the replay value that searching for bonus stages provided.{{sfn|Scary Larry|1994|p=51}} EGM and GamePro found searching for bonus stages was challenging,{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Scary Larry|1994|p=52}} though GamePro said it was easy to "breeze through the game" without them and criticised the boss fights as simplistic.{{sfn|Scary Larry|1994|p=52}} The four reviewers in Famitsu complimented the gameplay, with one reivewer, Hirokazu Hamamura; finding it too difficult.{{sfn|Tsūshin|Germany|Watanabe|Chuji|1994}}

Critics frequently compared Donkey Kong Country to the Super Mario series,{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37–38}} particularly Super Mario World (1990).{{sfn|CVG staff|1994|p=54}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=38}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=80}} Some considered Donkey Kong Country an improvement upon the Mario formula.{{sfn|Semrad|Carpenter|Manuel|Sushi-X|1994|p=34}}{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=80}}{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37–38}} GameFan said it would be a worthy successor to Super Mario World even without the graphics{{sfn|Storm|1994|p=80}} and Total! wrote that it took Mario{{'s}} best elements, increased the speed, and presented them better.{{sfn|Atko|Andy|1994|p=37–38}} Next Generation felt the gameplay, though good, did not meet the standards of previous SNES games such as the Mario and Legend of Zelda series and prevented it from being a "typical Nintendo blockbuster".{{sfn|McDonnell|1995|p=102}} CVG wrote that Donkey Kong Country was the only SNES game that matched Super Mario World, but that it would be a conventional platformer without its graphics. It warned that experienced players may find the game, designed for a broad audience, unoriginal.{{sfn|CVG staff|1994|p=54}}

Donkey Kong Country received many Game of the Year awards. For EGM{{'s}} Best and Worst of 1994, it won Game of the Year, Best SNES Game, and Best Animation; Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong won Best Game Duo.{{sfn|EGM staff|1994|p=12–22}} It also received Video Games: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine{{'s}} awards for Game of the Year, Best SNES Game, Best Action Game, and Best Graphics.{{sfn|Video Games staff|1995|p=44–46}} Donkey Kong Country was the only video game included in Time{{'s}} Best Products of 1994 list, coming in second behind the Chrysler Neon,{{sfn|GamePro staff|1995|p=155}} and it became the first game to win the Favourite Video Game Kids' Choice Award at the 1995 Kids' Choice Awards.{{cite web|title=First winner of "Favorite Video Game" in Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/397184-first-winner-of-favorite-video-game-in-nickelodeons-kids-choice-awards|website=Guinness World Records|access-date=9 June 2022|date=20 May 1995|archive-date=4 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404001216/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/397184-first-winner-of-favorite-video-game-in-nickelodeons-kids-choice-awards|url-status=live}}

In April 1995, following Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} success, Nintendo purchased a 25% minority stake in Rare,{{Cite web|last=IGN staff|date=1 March 2001|title=GameCube developer profile: Rare|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/01/gamecube-developer-profile-rare|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125192614/http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/01/gamecube-developer-profile-rare|archive-date=25 January 2013|access-date=14 June 2022|website=IGN}} which increased to 49% over time. Rare was the first non-Japanese studio to enter such a relationship with Nintendo, making them a second-party developer; Nintendo published Rare's subsequent games and allowed them to expand their staff from 84 to over 250 and move out of the farmhouse to an advanced development site elsewhere in Twycross. Rare was one of the first developers to receive Nintendo 64 software development kits and decided to start spending more time developing fewer games. Nintendo and Rare's partnership produced acclaimed Nintendo 64 games such as GoldenEye 007 (1997), Banjo-Kazooie (1998), Perfect Dark (2000), and Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001).

A proposed Game Boy port of Donkey Kong Country was repurposed as a separate game, Donkey Kong Land (1995), after the programmer Paul Machacek convinced Rare that it would be a better use of resources and expand the potential audience.{{cite web|last1=Machacek|first1=Paul|title=Scribes|url=http://www.rareware.com/extra/scribes/11mar05/index.html|publisher=Rare|access-date=18 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060511025515/http://www.rareware.com/extra/scribes/11mar05/index.html|archive-date=11 May 2006|date=11 March 2005}} Rare began developing concepts for a Donkey Kong Country sequel during production,{{sfn|Milne|2018|p=64}} and Nintendo green-lit the project immediately after the success.{{Cite web|last=Goergen|first=Andy|date=12 February 2014|title=Donkey Kong Country, through the years|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/36539/donkey-kong-country-through-the-years|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703015857/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/36539/donkey-kong-country-through-the-years|archive-date=3 July 2020|access-date=29 May 2022|website=Nintendo World Report}} Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, released in 1995, features Diddy rescuing a kidnapped Donkey Kong from K. Rool and introduces Diddy's girlfriend Dixie Kong. Diddy's Kong Quest was designed to be less linear and more challenging,{{sfn|The Feature Creature|1996|p=41}}{{sfn|Milne|2018|p=66}} with a theme reflecting Gregg Mayles' fascination with pirates.{{sfn|Milne|2018|p=66}} Like its predecessor, Diddy's Kong Quest was a major critical and commercial success.{{cite web|last1=Antista|first1=Chris|title=New screens honor the legacy of Donkey Kong Country - but WHY?|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/new-screens-honor-the-legacy-of-donkey-kong-country-but-why/?page=2|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=7 February 2016|date=14 October 2010|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105194618/https://www.gamesradar.com/new-screens-honor-the-legacy-of-donkey-kong-country-but-why/?page=2|url-status=live}}

Other teams at Rare used Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} technology in the fighting game Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Land, Donkey Kong Land 2 (1996) and Donkey Kong Land III (1997), which attempted to replicate Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} visuals and gameplay on the handheld Game Boy. Following Diddy's Kong Quest, the Donkey Kong Country team split in two: one half began working on Project Dream, a role-playing game that used the Donkey Kong Country technology,{{efn|Project Dream was eventually retooled into Banjo-Kazooie.{{sfn|Retro Gamer staff|2007|p=19}}}}{{sfn|Retro Gamer staff|2007|p=19}} and the other on Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1996). Rare followed Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! with Donkey Kong 64 (1999), the first Donkey Kong game to feature 3D gameplay. In 2002, Rare was acquired by Nintendo's competitor Microsoft and the Donkey Kong rights reverted to Nintendo.

A soundtrack CD, DK Jamz, was released in North America via news media and retailers in November 1994,{{sfn|EGM staff|1995|p=68}} with a standalone release in 1995.{{cite web|author=Kombo|title=Donkey Kong Country, Streets of Rage, New Adventure Island, The Legend of Kage|url=https://www.gamezone.com/originals/donkey-kong-country-streets-of-rage-new-adventure-island-the-legend-of-kage|website=GameZone|access-date=6 June 2020|date=4 May 2012|archive-date=6 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606141719/https://www.gamezone.com/originals/donkey-kong-country-streets-of-rage-new-adventure-island-the-legend-of-kage/|url-status=live}} It was one of the earliest video game soundtrack albums released in the United States.{{cite web|last=Elston|first=Brett|title=17 videogame soundtracks ahead of their time|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/17-videogame-soundtracks-ahead-of-their-time/3|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=6 June 2020|page=3|date=28 April 2009|archive-date=13 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013033223/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/17-videogame-soundtracks-ahead-of-their-time/3/|url-status=live}} The Japanese soundtrack CD, {{nihongo foot|Super Donkey Kong Game Music CD ~ Jungle Fantasy,|Japanese: スーパードンキーコング ゲームミュージックCD ジャングル・ファンタジー|Sūpā donkī kongu gēmu myūjikku CD janguru fantajī|group=lower-alpha}} was released in January 1995. In addition to the game music, it features seven rearrangements by Yoshiyuki Ito, who previously composed rearrangements for Nintendo's Zelda and Metroid soundtrack releases.{{cite web |last1=Greening |first1=Chris |title=Super Donkey Kong Game Music CD - Jungle Fantasy :: Review by Chris |url=https://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/donkeykongcountryarr.shtml |website=Square Enix Music Online |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=18 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618055005/https://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/donkeykongcountryarr.shtml |url-status=live }} The soundtrack was rereleased through the Donkey Kong Country Trilogy compilation album in November 1996 and via Nintendo Music, Nintendo's music streaming service, when it launched in October 2024.{{cite web |last1=Greening |first1=Chris |title=Donkey Kong Country Trilogy :: Review by Chris |url=https://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/donkeykongcountrytrilogy.shtml |website=Square Enix Music Online |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=21 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621211520/https://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/donkeykongcountrytrilogy.shtml |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/nintendo-music-app-the-full-list-of-game-soundtracks-available-so-far/ |title=Nintendo Music app: The full list of game soundtracks available so far |last=Scullion |first=Chris |work=Video Games Chronicle |date=November 1, 2024 |accessdate=November 2, 2024 |archive-date=13 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113013526/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/nintendo-music-app-the-full-list-of-game-soundtracks-available-so-far/ |url-status=live }}

A competition-oriented version of Donkey Kong Country was sold through Blockbuster Video. Its changes include a time limit for the playable levels and a scoring system, which had been used in the Nintendo PowerFest '94 and Blockbuster World Video Game Championships II competitions. It was later distributed in limited quantities through Nintendo Power. The competition version of Donkey Kong Country is the rarest licensed SNES game; only 2,500 cartridges are known to exist.

File:DKCRereleaseComparison.png version (top right), and the Game Boy Advance version (bottom).]]

In 2000, Rare developed a port of Donkey Kong Country for Nintendo's Game Boy Color (GBC) handheld console.{{Cite web|date=31 May 2021|title=Donkey Kong Country (GBC / Game Boy Color) game profile I News, reviews, videos & screenshots|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/games/gbc/donkey_kong_country|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610151258/https://www.nintendolife.com/games/gbc/donkey_kong_country|archive-date=10 June 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|website=Nintendo Life}} It was released in North America on 4 November 2000, in Europe on 17 November, and in Japan on 21 January 2001. The port was developed alongside the GBC version of Perfect Dark{{Cite web|last=IGN staff|date=25 July 2000|title=Interrogating Rare's Game Boy team|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/26/interrogating-rares-game-boy-team|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025035108/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/26/interrogating-rares-game-boy-team|archive-date=25 October 2013|access-date=5 June 2020|website=IGN}} and many assets, including graphics and audio, were re-used from the Donkey Kong Land games.{{cite web|last=DiRienzo|first=David|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-country|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=6 June 2020|date=25 January 2015|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225224451/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-country/|url-status=live}} Aside from graphical and sound-related downgrades due to the GBC's weaker 8-bit hardware, the port is mostly identical to the original release. One level was redesigned and another was added. It also adds bonus modes, including two minigames that supplement the main quest and support multiplayer via the Game Link Cable, as well as Game Boy Printer support.{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Craig|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/23/donkey-kong-country-8|website=IGN|access-date=6 June 2020|date=22 November 2000|archive-date=6 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606113034/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/23/donkey-kong-country-8|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Provo|first=Frank|date=17 May 2006|title=Donkey Kong Country review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-2657317/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185554/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-2657317/|archive-date=26 January 2018|access-date=6 June 2020|website=GameSpot}} The GBC version was a runner-up for GameSpot{{'}}s annual Best Game Boy Color Game and Best Platform Game awards,{{Cite web|last=GameSpot Staff|date=5 January 2001|title=Best and worst of 2000|url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2000/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020213041653/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2000/|archive-date=13 February 2002|website=GameSpot}} and during the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated it for the "Console Family" award.{{cite web|url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2001&idGame=607|title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Donkey Kong Country|publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences|access-date=24 July 2023|archive-date=24 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724205007/https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2001&idGame=607|url-status=live}} It sold 2.19 million copies worldwide.{{sfn|CESA|2021|p=167}}

Despite its acquisition by Microsoft, Rare continued to produce games for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance (GBA) since Microsoft did not have a competing handheld. It ported Donkey Kong Country as part of Nintendo's line of SNES rereleases for the GBA.{{Cite web|last=Provo|first=Frank|date=11 June 2003|title=Donkey Kong Country review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-6029844/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001035319/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-6029844/|archive-date=1 October 2019|access-date=4 June 2020|website=GameSpot}} The GBA version was released in Australia on 4 June 2003, Europe on 6 June, in North America on 9 June, and in Japan on 12 December.{{Cite web |date=June 4, 2003 |title=Go Banana's on Game Boy Advance |url=http://nintendo.com.au:80/nintendo/news/index.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030628171629/http://nintendo.com.au:80/nintendo/news/index.php |archive-date=June 28, 2003 |access-date=May 23, 2024 |website=Nintendo Australia}}{{Cite web|date=21 March 2021|title=Donkey Kong Country (GBA / Game Boy Advance) game profile I News, reviews, videos & screenshots|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/games/gba/donkey_kong_country|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711141621/https://www.nintendolife.com/games/gba/donkey_kong_country|archive-date=11 July 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|website=Nintendo Life}} It adds a new animated introductory cutscene, redesigned user interfaces and world maps, the ability to save progress anywhere, minigames, and a time trial mode. It features downgraded graphics and sound, the former due to the GBA's lack of a backlit screen. The GBA version sold 1.82 million copies,{{sfn|CESA|2021|p=168}} including 960,000 in the US by August 2006. Between January 2000 and August 2006, it was the 19th highest-selling game for a Nintendo handheld console in the US.{{Cite news|last=Keiser|first=Joe|date=2 August 2006|title=The century's top 50 handheld games|work=Next Generation|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3557&Itemid=2&pop=1&page=0|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010052300/http://www.next-gen.biz/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3557&Itemid=2&pop=1&page=0|archive-date=10 October 2007}}

The SNES version of Donkey Kong Country has been digitally rereleased for later Nintendo consoles via Nintendo's Virtual Console service. It was released for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan and Europe in December 2006, and in North America in February 2007.{{Cite web|title=Donkey Kong Country (SNES / Super Nintendo) game profile I News, reviews, videos & screenshots|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/games/snes/donkey_kong_country|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705190929/https://www.nintendolife.com/games/snes/donkey_kong_country|archive-date=5 July 2020|access-date=6 June 2020|website=Nintendo Life}} In September 2012, the game was delisted from the Virtual Console for unknown reasons, though Kotaku{{'s}} Jason Schreier suggested it may have been related to licensing problems with Rare.{{Cite web|last=Schreier|first=Jason|date=26 February 2015|title=Donkey Kong Country back on Wii U after mysterious two-year absence|url=https://kotaku.com/donkey-kong-country-back-on-wii-u-after-mysterious-two-1688194495|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185157/https://kotaku.com/donkey-kong-country-back-on-wii-u-after-mysterious-two-1688194495|archive-date=26 January 2018|access-date=6 June 2020|website=Kotaku}} Donkey Kong Country returned to the Wii U's Virtual Console in February 2015{{Cite web|last=Sirani|first=Jordan|date=26 February 2015|title=Six Donkey Kong games arrive on Virtual Console|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/26/six-donkey-kong-games-arrive-on-virtual-console|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606114703/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/26/six-donkey-kong-games-arrive-on-virtual-console|archive-date=6 June 2020|access-date=6 June 2020|website=IGN}} and was added to the New Nintendo 3DS' Virtual Console in March 2016.{{cite web|last=Hillier|first=Brenna|title=3DS Virtual Console gets SNES classics – Earthbound Donkey Kong Country, more|url=https://www.vg247.com/2016/03/04/3ds-virtual-console-gets-snes-classics-earthbound-donkey-kong-country-more/|website=VG247|access-date=6 June 2020|date=6 March 2016|archive-date=24 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924234417/https://www.vg247.com/2016/03/04/3ds-virtual-console-gets-snes-classics-earthbound-donkey-kong-country-more/|url-status=live}} It was included in the Super NES Classic Edition, a dedicated console released by Nintendo in September 2017,{{cite web|last=Soupporis|first=Aaron|title=SNES Classic Edition review: Worth it for the games alone|url=https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-27-snes-classic-edition-review.html|website=Engadget|access-date=6 June 2020|date=27 September 2017|archive-date=31 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531113738/https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-27-snes-classic-edition-review.html|url-status=live}} and was released on the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Classics service in July 2020.{{cite web|last=Moon|first=Mariella|title=Nintendo Switch Online is adding {{'}}Donkey Kong Country{{'}} this month|url=https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-switch-online-adds-donkey-kong-country-for-july-053119477.html|website=Engadget|access-date=12 June 2022|date=8 July 2020|archive-date=12 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612231740/https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-switch-online-adds-donkey-kong-country-for-july-053119477.html|url-status=live}}

Donkey Kong Country{{'}}s visual appeal helped the SNES remain popular in a period of uncertainty for cartridge-based games. Consumers were unfamiliar with 3D graphics at the time. According to Official Nintendo Magazine, by bringing next-generation graphics to the SNES just 12 days before the PlayStation's Japanese launch, Donkey Kong Country persuaded consumers that an immediate upgrade was unnecessary.{{Sfn|Castle|2014|p=100–101}} IGN wrote that the game "saved the SNES" and revitalised sales by bringing back lapsed fans. Donkey Kong Country also helped Nintendo pull ahead of Sega and win the console wars of the 1990s.{{cite web|last=Kelion|first=Leo|title=Sega v Nintendo: Sonic, Mario and the 1990's console war|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27373587|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 April 2022|date=13 May 2014|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702174225/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27373587|url-status=live}} Whereas Nintendo continued to release AAA games such as Donkey Kong Country, Sega had alienated audiences with add-ons such as the Mega-CD and 32X, and its subsequent console, the Saturn, failed.

The Donkey Kong Country series re-established Donkey Kong as one of Nintendo's most popular and profitable franchises. Donkey Kong Country heralded Donkey Kong's transition from villain to hero; Rare's redesign became his standard appearance, and its gameplay format was followed by sequels. The game inspired an animated series that ran for 40 episodes from 1997 to 2000,{{cite web|last=DiRienzo|first=David|title=Donkey Kong Country (Cartoon)|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-country-cartoon|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=2 June 2022|date=18 May 2014|archive-date=1 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601155700/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-country-cartoon/|url-status=live}} and Diddy Kong starred in a Nintendo 64 racing game spin-off, Diddy Kong Racing (1997).{{Cite web|last=Watts|first=Martin|date=23 February 2014|title=Month of Kong: The making of Diddy Kong Racing|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/month_of_kong_the_making_of_diddy_kong_racing|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601155608/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/month_of_kong_the_making_of_diddy_kong_racing|archive-date=1 June 2022|access-date=1 June 2022|website=Nintendo Life}} Following Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, the Country series went on a hiatus until Donkey Kong Country Returns, developed by Retro Studios, was released for the Wii on Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} 16th anniversary in 2010. A sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, was released for the Wii U in 2014. Wise, who left Rare in 2009, returned to compose Tropical Freeze{{'s}} score.{{cite web|last=Gera|first=Emily|title=Synth, big band jazz and the remaking of Donkey Kong Country's amazing sound|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/3/5/5456852/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-music|website=Polygon|access-date=2 June 2022|date=5 March 2014|archive-date=31 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531023549/https://www.polygon.com/2014/3/5/5456852/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-music|url-status=live}}

File:Shigeru Miyamoto at E3 2013 1 (cropped).JPG (pictured in 2013), disliked Donkey Kong Country.]]

Reviewing the Virtual Console rerelease, Nintendo Life felt the visuals were still among the SNES's best,{{Cite web|last=Olney|first=Alex|date=24 October 2014|title=Donkey Kong Country review (Wii U eShop / SNES)|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/donkey_kong_country_snes|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303022649/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/donkey_kong_country_snes|archive-date=3 March 2021|access-date=10 June 2022|website=Nintendo Life}} and Jeuxvideo.com said they had offered a new depth of realism.{{cite news|last=Garnier|first=Michel|title=Test du jeu Donkey Kong Country sur SNES|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00012136-donkey-kong-country-test.htm|access-date=4 June 2020|work=Jeuxvideo.com|date=22 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030083735/http://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00012136-donkey-kong-country-test.htm|archive-date=30 October 2019|language=fr}} IGN and AllGame said the visuals remained impressive for the SNES (though IGN thought they were no longer as significant a draw),{{Cite news|last=Thomas|first=Lucas M.|date=20 February 2007|title=Donkey Kong Country review|work=IGN|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/20/donkey-kong-country-review|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823012726/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/20/donkey-kong-country|archive-date=23 August 2012}}{{Cite web|last=Marriott|first=Scott Alan|title=Donkey Kong Country review (SNES)|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2475&tab=review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114125055/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2475&tab=review|archive-date=14 November 2014|publisher=AllGame}} while GameSpot thought the graphics rivalled 32-bit consoles.{{Cite web|last=Provo|first=Frank|date=23 February 2007|title=Donkey Kong Country review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-6166362|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401224009/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-6166362/|archive-date=1 April 2019|access-date=4 June 2020|website=GameSpot}} Conversely, USGamer said that, though technically impressive, they did not age well, with "cringe-inducing", "paper-thin backgrounds".{{Cite web|last=Oxford|first=Nadia|date=23 January 2019|title=Super NES retro review: Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-reviews-game-by-game-15-donkey-kong-country|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120063355/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/super-nes-classic-reviews-game-by-game-15-donkey-kong-country|archive-date=20 November 2020|access-date=5 June 2020|website=US Gamer}} Hardcore Gaming 101 agreed, writing that the visuals looked plastic-like, did not hold up well once the novelty of pre-rendering had worn off, and were clearly experimental, even if their detail was admirable. Critics praised the GBC version for attempting to preserve the visuals in spite of hardware limitations,{{Cite web|last=Provo|first=Frank|date=17 May 2006|title=Donkey Kong Country review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-2657317|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185554/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-review/1900-2657317/|archive-date=26 January 2018|access-date=11 June 2022|website=GameSpot}}{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Craig|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/23/donkey-kong-country-8|website=IGN|access-date=11 June 2022|date=22 November 2000|archive-date=28 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528162857/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/23/donkey-kong-country-8|url-status=live}} but criticised the GBA version's downgrades,{{cite web|last=Kosmina|first=Ben|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4124/donkey-kong-country-game-boy-advance|website=Nintendo World Report|access-date=11 June 2022|date=5 September 2003|archive-date=11 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911112852/https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/4124/donkey-kong-country-game-boy-advance|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Mariott|first=Scott|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=42630&tab=review|publisher=AllGame|access-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114211741/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=42630&tab=review|archive-date=14 November 2014}} which IGN considered detrimental to the experience.

Donkey Kong Country became divisive in the years following its release. Eurogamer wrote that it became popular to dislike it in the early 2000s,{{cite web|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_dkc_gba|website=Eurogamer|access-date=11 June 2022|date=3 June 2003|archive-date=1 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001035319/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_dkc_gba|url-status=live}} and it was often described as one of the most overrated video games.{{Cite web|last=GameSpy staff|date=19 September 2003|title=25 most overrated games of all time|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25overrated/index18.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508010107/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25overrated/index.shtml|archive-date=8 May 2006|access-date=11 June 2022|website=GameSpy}}{{cite web|last=DiRienzo|first=David|title=Donkey Kong Jungle Beat|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-jungle-beat|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=12 July 2020|date=17 April 2015|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813023826/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-jungle-beat/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|author=Electronic Gaming Monthly staff|title=The 10 most overrated games|url=http://www.1up.com/features/10-overrated-games|website=1Up.com|access-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512073328/http://www.1up.com/features/10-overrated-games|archive-date=12 May 2012|date=4 April 2005}} For example, Vice wrote that it did not deserve to be considered a classic and, alongside GameSpy, called its gameplay unremarkable and lacking depth.{{cite web|last=Dransfield|first=Ian|title=Twenty years on, 'Donkey Kong Country' is still as terrible as it ever was|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/donkey-kong-at-20-years-old-442/|website=Vice|access-date=31 May 2022|date=2 December 2014|archive-date=31 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531001349/https://www.vice.com/en/article/exm9bn/donkey-kong-at-20-years-old-442|url-status=live}} According to IGN, critics accused Donkey Kong Country of "sacrificing gameplay for the sake of a short-run attention grab and quick impulse sales", which USGamer attributed to the "flimflammery of its visuals and the relative mundanity of its actual game design". USGamer wrote the game was often criticised as an example of style over substance, with gameplay that was arguably inferior to SNES launch games such as Super Mario World and Super Castlevania IV (1991). GameSpy complained that Donkey Kong Country overshadowed games such as Yoshi's Island, which it considered superior.

Donkey Kong Country has been described as one of the greatest video games of all time.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{cite web|title=The 100 greatest games|url=http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/default.asp?p=76|website=Empire|access-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706102359/http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/default.asp?p=76|archive-date=6 July 2011|page=76|date=2009}}{{cite web|last1=Moore|first1=Bo|last2=Schubak|first2=Adam|title=The 100 greatest video games of all time|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/gaming/g134/the-100-greatest-video-games-of-all-time/?slide=37|website=Popular Mechanics|access-date=11 June 2022|page=37|date=15 March 2022|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611135725/https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/gaming/g134/the-100-greatest-video-games-of-all-time/?slide=37|url-status=live}}{{cite web|author=Polygon staff|title=The 500 best games of all time: 300-201|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/29/16693094/polygon-500-best-games-of-all-time-300-201|website=Polygon|access-date=11 June 2022|date=29 November 2017|archive-date=30 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330211534/https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/29/16693094/polygon-500-best-games-of-all-time-300-201|url-status=live}}{{cite web|author1=Slant staff|title=100 greatest video games of all time|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/100-greatest-video-games-of-all-time/P4|website=Slant|access-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717084539/http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/100-greatest-video-games-of-all-time/P4|archive-date=17 July 2015|page=4|date=9 June 2014}}}} USGamer wrote that the criticism was unfair because it "exudes craftsmanship ... Rare went to great pains to create a consistent, seamless world that managed to convey trompe-l'oeil immersion", something few developers could replicate. Though retrospective reviewers criticised the boss fights, they praised the rhythm, variety, and replay value.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:}} Polygon said that although some aspects had not aged well, Donkey Kong Country remained among the best Donkey Kong games and deserved praise for resurrecting the franchise.{{cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=The definitive ranking of Donkey Kong games|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/5/10/17333228/donkey-kong-rankings|website=Polygon|access-date=31 May 2022|date=10 May 2018|archive-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403080041/https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/5/10/17333228/donkey-kong-rankings|url-status=live}} Its soundtrack is considered one of the best in games,{{cite web|last=Pollack|first=Hilary|title=The {{'}}Donkey Kong Country{{'}} soundtrack is better than Xanax|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-donkey-kong-country-soundtrack-is-better-than-xanax/|website=Vice|access-date=11 June 2022|date=17 July 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129173429/https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxqp5n/the-donkey-kong-country-soundtrack-is-better-than-xanax|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Craig|title=Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/06/donkey-kong-country-4|website=IGN|access-date=11 June 2022|date=6 June 2003|archive-date=29 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529232142/https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/06/donkey-kong-country-4|url-status=live}} praised for its atmosphere and diversity. Hardcore Gaming 101 said it was the one element that had unquestionably aged well and contained some of the 16-bit era's most memorable music.

In the years following its release, rumours spread that Miyamoto disliked Donkey Kong Country and found it amateurish, and had created the hand-drawn art style of Yoshi's Island in retaliation for its pre-rendered visuals. Miyamoto spoke highly of Donkey Kong Country in a 2000 interview; he said that Rare "breathed new life into" Donkey Kong, had demonstrated excellent research into what made a Nintendo game work, and proved they could be trusted with the Donkey Kong franchise.{{cite web |title="ドンキーコングの生みの親" 宮本茂独占インタビュー |trans-title=Exclusive Interview with Donkey Kong Creator Shigeru Miyamoto |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0002/01/miyamoto.html |website=Nintendo Online Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040212000129/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0002/01/miyamoto.html |archive-date=February 12, 2004 |access-date=January 22, 2025 |language=Japanese |date=February 2000}} ([https://themushroomkingdom.net/interview_miyamoto_nom18_feb2000.shtml Translation]) However, the author Steven L. Kent claimed Miyamoto said that "Donkey Kong Country proves gamers will put up with mediocre gameplay if the art is good" in a 1995 Electronic Games interview. Kent said that Nintendo's marketing department had rejected Yoshi's Island as it lacked Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} pre-rendered graphics, and that this had possibly motivated Miyamoto's remark.{{cite web|last=Craddock|first=David|title=21 facts you might not know about all the games on the SNES Classic|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/100456/21-facts-you-might-not-know-about-all-the-games-on-the-snes-classic|website=Shacknews|access-date=16 June 2022|date=27 June 2017|archive-date=16 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616235458/https://www.shacknews.com/article/100456/21-facts-you-might-not-know-about-all-the-games-on-the-snes-classic|url-status=live}} Miyamoto denied this in 2010, noting he "was very involved" in Donkey Kong Country and had corresponded with Stamper throughout development.{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Craig|title=E3 2010: Shigeru Miyamoto likes Donkey Kong Country after all|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/06/17/e3-2010-shigeru-miyamoto-likes-donkey-kong-country-after-all|website=IGN|access-date=11 June 2022|date=17 June 2010|archive-date=27 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627062028/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/06/17/e3-2010-shigeru-miyamoto-likes-donkey-kong-country-after-all|url-status=live}} In 2014, USGamer described Kent's claims as "seemingly apocryphal", and in 2019, the video game historian Frank Cifaldi found that the Electronic Games interview did not contain the alleged quote from Miyamoto.{{cite tweet|last=Cifaldi|first=Frank|title=Sorry, they do talk about tech but there's nothing remotely like that in here.|user=frankcifaldi|number=1144373230364266496|date=27 June 2019|access-date=13 June 2020}}

Donkey Kong Country exerted "revolutionary influence", according to GameSpot.{{Cite web|last=Taruc|first=Nelson|date=22 November 1999|title=Donkey Kong 64 review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-64-review/1900-2543651|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185623/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-64-review/1900-2543651/|archive-date=26 January 2018|access-date=26 April 2022|website=GameSpot}} Kotaku said its unprecedented graphics represented the future of games and Nintendo World Report wrote that it set standards for how platform games could look and play.{{cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Pedro|title=Donkey Kong Country 1 & 2|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/27421/the-snes-20-donkey-kong-country-1-namp-2|website=Nintendo World Report|access-date=1 June 2022|date=17 August 2011|archive-date=21 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221151814/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/27421/the-snes-20-donkey-kong-country-1-namp-2|url-status=live}} Sega commissioned BlueSky Software to develop the Mega Drive game Vectorman (1995) in response to Donkey Kong Country{{'s}} popularity.{{cite web|last=Elston|first=Brett|title=Game music of the day: Vectorman|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/game-music-of-the-day-vectorman|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=20 August 2022|date=30 September 2010|archive-date=15 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715232447/https://www.gamesradar.com/game-music-of-the-day-vectorman/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Taborda|first=Zillion|title=Vectorman|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vectorman/|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=20 August 2022|date=27 December 2015|archive-date=27 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927222036/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vectorman/|url-status=live}} Many developers imitated the visuals; IGN identified the Saturn games Clockwork Knight (1994) and Bug! (1995) as examples.{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|title=What hath Sonic wrought? Vol. 10|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/02/what-hath-sonic-wrought-vol-10|website=IGN|access-date=11 June 2022|date=2 February 2009|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611180258/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/02/what-hath-sonic-wrought-vol-10|url-status=live}} USGamer wrote that few games achieved the same quality and that 2.5D games, such as Crystal Dynamics' Pandemonium! (1996), exposed the "illusion upon which [Donkey Kong Country] was built". Kotaku said Donkey Kong Country was an event that could not be replicated in modern times due to the game industry's growth.

Naughty Dog's founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin cited Donkey Kong Country as the primary influence on their break-out game Crash Bandicoot (1996).{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/04/rising-to-greatness-the-history-of-naughty-dog|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126015810/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/04/rising-to-greatness-the-history-of-naughty-dog|title=Rising to greatness: The history of Naughty Dog|last=Moriarty|first=Colin|date=4 October 2013|archive-date=26 November 2013|work=IGN|access-date=31 December 2013|url-status=live}} Crash{{'s}} first functional levels drew upon techniques employed by Donkey Kong Country, such as steam vents, drop platforms, bouncy pads, heated pipes, and enemies that move back and forth.{{cite web|url=http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/02/05/making-crash-bandicoot-part-4|title=Making Crash Bandicoot - part 4|last=Gavin|first=Andy|author-link=Andy Gavin|date=5 February 2011|publisher=All Things Andy Gavin|access-date=2 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707112809/http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/02/05/making-crash-bandicoot-part-4/|archive-date=7 July 2011|url-status=live}} The pre-rendered visuals inspired other games, including Kirby Super Star (1996) and Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (1996),{{cite web|last1=Sao|first1=Akinori|title=Kirby Super Star developer interview - SNES Classic Edition|url=https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-kirby|publisher=Nintendo|date=10 October 2017|access-date=21 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817122322/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-kirby/|archive-date=17 August 2019|url-status=live}}{{sfn|Mean Machines Sega staff|1996|p=25}} and critics have identified Donkey Kong Country references or influence in games such as the Mega-CD version of Earthworm Jim (1995),{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Mike|title=Nothing wrong with playing it again|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/starting-screen-nothing-wrong-with-playing-it-again|website=USgamer|access-date=17 June 2022|date=29 May 2020|archive-date=22 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022175352/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/starting-screen-nothing-wrong-with-playing-it-again|url-status=live}} Sonic Blast (1996),{{cite web|last1=Ronaghan|first1=Neal|title=Grinding Game Gears: An overview of Sonic's portable origins|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34741/grinding-game-gears-an-overview-of-sonics-portable-origins|website=Nintendo World Report|access-date=19 June 2022|date=21 June 2013|archive-date=9 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509194307/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34741/grinding-game-gears-an-overview-of-sonics-portable-origins|url-status=live}} Rayman Origins (2011),{{Cite web|last=Parkin|first=Simon|date=14 November 2011|title=Rayman Origins review|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/rayman-origins-review|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617170353/https://www.eurogamer.net/rayman-origins-review|archive-date=17 June 2022|access-date=17 June 2022|website=Eurogamer}} Mekazoo (2016),{{cite web|last=Priestman|first=Chris|title=Donkey Kong Country-inspired platformer Mekazoo will have tag team-style local co-op|url=https://www.siliconera.com/donkey-kong-country-inspired-platformer-mekazoo-will-have-tag-team-style-local-co-op/|website=Siliconera|access-date=17 June 2022|date=28 July 2015|archive-date=17 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617170357/https://www.siliconera.com/donkey-kong-country-inspired-platformer-mekazoo-will-have-tag-team-style-local-co-op/|url-status=live}} and Kaze and the Wild Masks (2021).{{cite web|last=Peeples|first=Jeremy|title=Review: Kaze and the Wild Masks|url=https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-kaze-and-the-wild-masks/401033/|website=Hardcore Gamer|access-date=17 June 2022|date=26 March 2021|archive-date=17 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617170353/https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-kaze-and-the-wild-masks/401033/|url-status=live}} The Australian Broadcasting Corporation credited Donkey Kong Country for maintaining the popularity of 2D games and ensuring the development of new entries in the Mario, Kirby, and Yoshi series.{{cite web|title=Good Game Stores - Feature: Reboots|url=https://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s3698754.htm|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=1 June 2022|date=26 February 2013|archive-date=1 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601153323/https://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s3698754.htm|url-status=live}}

Wise's soundtrack was considered highly influential, developing a cult following for his work.{{cite web|last=Hopkins|first=Matt|title=Gaming tunes that whip sack both in and out of their virtual worlds|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/11/gaming-tunes-that-whip-sack-both-in-and-out-of-their-virtual-worlds/|website=Kotaku|access-date=11 June 2022|date=29 November 2019|archive-date=10 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610153959/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/11/gaming-tunes-that-whip-sack-both-in-and-out-of-their-virtual-worlds/|url-status=dead}} IGN said Donkey Kong Country contributed to an increased appreciation for video game music as an art form,{{cite AV media|title=The Most Emotional Video Game Music in the Unlikeliest of Places|author=IGN|via=YouTube|date=6 August 2023|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwFJdaxM89c|access-date=12 August 2023|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811115820/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwFJdaxM89c&feature=youtu.be|url-status=live}} and The New York Times called it the video game equivalent to the Beatles' Revolver (1966). Rearrangements of the music appear in Donkey Kong 64, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze,{{cite web|last=Power|first=Tom|title=As Donkey Kong 64 turns 20, the devs reflect on its design, the infamous DK Rap, and how a shocked Shigeru Miyamoto created the Coconut Shooter|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/making-of-donkey-kong-64|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=14 June 2022|date=7 December 2019|archive-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614132033/https://www.gamesradar.com/making-of-donkey-kong-64/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=DiRienzo|first=David|title=Donkey Kong Country Returns|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-country-returns|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=14 June 2022|date=17 April 2015|archive-date=21 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421174045/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-country-returns/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Mejia|first=Ozzie|date=1 May 2018|title=Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch) review: Funky like a monkey|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/104677/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-nintendo-switch-review-funky-like-a-monkey|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417103301/https://www.shacknews.com/article/104677/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-nintendo-switch-review-funky-like-a-monkey|archive-date=17 April 2021|access-date=14 June 2022|website=Shacknews}} and in crossover games such as Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. fighting series.{{cite web|last=Green|first=Jake|title=Super Smash Bros Ultimate music list - every song in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, full soundtrack|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/17-12-18-super-smash-bros-ultimate-song-list-every-music-track-in-ultimate-full-soundtrack|website=USGamer|access-date=14 June 2022|date=17 April 2019|archive-date=15 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115162830/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/17-12-18-super-smash-bros-ultimate-song-list-every-music-track-in-ultimate-full-soundtrack|url-status=live}} Its tracks are often remixed, Wise contributing to an OverClocked ReMix album in 2004.{{cite web|last=Reynolds|first=Shawn|title=New Donkey Kong Aquatic Ambience remix composed for video game music awards|url=https://hardcoregamer.com/videos/new-donkey-kong-aquatic-ambience-remix-composed-for-video-game-music-awards/232903/|website=Hardcore Gamer|access-date=11 June 2022|date=29 October 2016|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611140409/https://hardcoregamer.com/videos/new-donkey-kong-aquatic-ambience-remix-composed-for-video-game-music-awards/232903/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Sorlie|first=Audun|title=Original Donkey Kong Country composers contribute to OverClocked ReMix's Serious Monkey Business|url=http://www.originalsoundversion.com/serious-monkey-business-needs-serious-human-cash|publisher=Original Sound Version|access-date=11 June 2022|date=6 November 2009|archive-date=7 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907021936/http://www.originalsoundversion.com/serious-monkey-business-needs-serious-human-cash/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Sofka|first=Samantha|title=GameChops releases Club Kong: A modern jazz remix of Donkey Kong music|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/gamechops_releases_club_kong_a_modern_jazz_remix_of_donkey_kong_music|website=Nintendo Life|access-date=11 June 2022|date=10 February 2014|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611140409/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/gamechops_releases_club_kong_a_modern_jazz_remix_of_donkey_kong_music|url-status=live}} "Aquatic Ambience" has been particularly influential. It has been described as "the 'Eleanor Rigby' of video game music", praised by artists such as Trent Reznor and Donald Glover, and The A.V. Club wrote that it spawned a "minor cult" dedicated to remixes.{{cite web|last=Vishnevetsky|first=Ignatiy|title=Chill out with Donkey Kong Country|url=https://www.avclub.com/chill-out-with-donkey-kong-country-1798242884|website=The A.V. Club|access-date=29 June 2022|date=7 January 2016|archive-date=29 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629094540/https://www.avclub.com/chill-out-with-donkey-kong-country-1798242884|url-status=live}} Glover sampled it in his 2012 song "Eat Your Vegetables", to which Wise expressed approval.{{cite web|last=Reseigh-Lincoln|first=Dom|title=Random: Childish Gambino sampled Donkey Kong Country and David Wise definitely approves|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/05/random_childish_gambino_sampled_donkey_kong_country_and_david_wise_definitely_approves|website=Nintendo Life|access-date=11 June 2022|date=24 May 2018|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611140232/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/05/random_childish_gambino_sampled_donkey_kong_country_and_david_wise_definitely_approves|url-status=live}}

Donkey Kong Country established Rare as one of the leading video game developers and set the standard for its work. It originated conventions characteristic of Rare's later output, including an emphasis on collecting items, irreverent humour,{{cite web|last=Gilbert|first=Henry|title=Nintendo trivia - 64 little known facts about the gaming giant|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-trivia-20-little-known-facts-about-gaming-giant|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=15 November 2023|date=23 September 2014|archive-date=15 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115133612/https://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-trivia-20-little-known-facts-about-gaming-giant/|url-status=live}} visual appeal, and tech demo-like design. Nintendo and Rare's partnership continued until Star Fox Adventures (2002) for the GameCube, after which Rare was acquired by Microsoft. The 2019 game Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair—developed by Playtonic Games, whose staff includes Rare alumni that worked on Donkey Kong Country—was noted for its gameplay similarities to Donkey Kong Country,{{cite web|last=Davenport|first=James|title=Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is basically Donkey Kong Country on PC|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/yooka-laylee-and-the-impossible-lair-is-basically-donkey-kong-country-on-pc|website=PC Gamer|access-date=1 June 2022|date=28 June 2019|archive-date=31 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531214617/https://www.pcgamer.com/yooka-laylee-and-the-impossible-lair-is-basically-donkey-kong-country-on-pc/|url-status=live}} though Playtonic's head Gavin Price declined to label it a spiritual successor.{{cite web|last=Dring|first=Christopher|title=Playtonic: "We are never using the term spiritual successor again"|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-06-08-playtonic-we-are-never-using-the-term-spiritual-successor-again|website=GamesIndustry.biz|access-date=1 June 2022|date=14 June 2019|archive-date=16 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616141249/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-06-08-playtonic-we-are-never-using-the-term-spiritual-successor-again|url-status=live}} Nintendo Life also identified similarities between Donkey Kong Country and Kroko Bongo: Tap to the Beat! (2017), a platform game developed by the Stampers' mobile game studio FortuneFish.{{cite web|last=McFerran|first=Damien|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/09/the_latest_game_from_the_stamper_brothers_feels_like_a_donkey_kong_country_sequel|title=The latest game from the Stamper brothers feels like a Donkey Kong Country sequel|website=Nintendo Life|access-date=16 June 2022|date=5 September 2017|archive-date=16 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616184027/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/09/the_latest_game_from_the_stamper_brothers_feels_like_a_donkey_kong_country_sequel|url-status=live}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin|35em}}

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• {{cite magazine|title=Donkey Kong Country|magazine=Computer and Video Games|date=December 1994|issue=157|pages=52–54|ref={{SfnRef|CVG staff|1994}}|publisher=St Ives|location=Peterborough|issn=0261-3697}}
• {{cite book|title=Donkey Kong Country|format=instruction manual|date=November 1994|publisher=Nintendo of America|location=Redmond|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/common/pdf/CLV-P-SAALE.pdf|access-date=19 June 2022|ref={{SfnRef|Nintendo|1994a}}|archive-date=25 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005832/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clvs/manuals/common/pdf/CLV-P-SAALE.pdf|url-status=live}}
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{{refend}}

{{Wikiquote|Donkey Kong Country}}

• {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/19980705003317/http://www.rare.co.uk/recent/games/dkc/}} at the Internet Archive
• [https://www.mariowiki.com/Donkey_Kong_Country Donkey Kong Country at the Super Mario Wiki]

{{Donkey Kong}}

{{Rare}}

{{Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Video Game}}

{{Portal bar|Video games|1990s|United Kingdom}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1994 video games

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Category:Donkey Kong platform games

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